Durham Light Infantry 13th Battalion

[overdeane]

My great uncle William Traves Tunnicliffe joined the Durham Light Infantry 13th Battalion in September 1914 ( private 20565 ) he was killed in action on 13/5/1917.

I would like to find out which battles he was involved in and where he died.

[johnmelling1979]

Hello

He was wounded with a G S W to the head in 1916, if you didnt know that already.

Have you tried looking for a war diary?

There is a book about the 13 Battalion, called With Bayonets Fixed: The 12th & 13th Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry in the Great War

Cheers John

[HERITAGE PLUS]

The War Diary covering the period 1914-17, which provides a day by day record of the Battalion, is downloadable here:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353254

Dave

[GraemeClarke]

Hi

He was killed during a German raid on the lines. 3 parties attacked and managed to get into the British trenches but were then ejected.

Regards,

Graeme

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Hi heres the text from "With Bayonets Fixed."

At 0430 hours on 11 May the enemy opened fire with trench mortars

against Canada Street and then later in the day Battalion Headquarters at

Rudkin House was shelled intermittently. At 1700 hours the front line at

I.30.3 and I.30.4 also came under fire. This shelling resulted in the death of

43698 Private William Jones from Kimblesworth, serving with A

Company: originally an 8/DLI man numbered 3281, his death is

recorded with 8/DLI on 10 May 1917, but the Adjutant’s Diary of

13/DLI records his death with 13/DLI. A further four men

were wounded. The shelling continued the next day and

although the front line was blown in in several places there

were no casualties. At 0330 hours on the morning of 13

May the shelling against the Mount Sorrell sector started

again and then fifteen minutes later three parties of

German soldiers left their trenches and advanced

towards the line held by 13/DLI. The first party, about

twelve-strong, headed for I.30.3; the centre party

headed by an officer with about fifteen men attacked

I.30.4; and the third party of about twenty men headed

for Sap F at I.30.5. Parties one and three managed to

enter the British lines but were very quickly thrown out,

while the group commanded by the officer was pinned

down and failed to get into the British trench. A second

wave followed but only got about halfway over No

Man’s Land where they came under heavy and accurate

fire from the Lewis guns of 13/DLI.

The battalion suffered a number of casualties. Second

Lieutenant E. Parr was wounded with six men killed, three

from D Company and three from B Company. A further

twenty-one men were wounded and one man, 43408 Private

Jonathan Porritt from A Company, was reported missing. It

appears that the German raid was successful in taking a

prisoner as he survived the war. The following morning a

patrol went out into No Man’s Land where they located the bodies of two

of the German raiding party. The remains of the two enemy soldiers were

brought back to the British lines where they were searched for clues to

identify their unit and higher formation.

Regards

John

[overdeane]

Thank you so much to the people who posted information regarding William Traves Tunnicliffe.

I did not know he was wounded in 1916, but could I ask John what is a G S W

[HERITAGE PLUS]

GSW = Gun Shot Wound

Dave

[overdeane]

Many thanks Dave, you must tell I am a woman, not used to using the abbreviations

[overdeane]

I went onto the site and paid to download the war diary as suggested by

Dave, but my computer keeps crashing when I try to download the information, is there any other site I can go on to view the war diary? Also when William got wounded in 1916 does anyone know if he was hospitalized? if so where?

[Tyneside Chinaman]

Hi,

He was evacuated to 11th Field Ambulance to 36th Casualty Clearing Station then to 11th General Hospital at Camiers. When he was on the mend he went to the 6th Convalescent Depot and then from there to 35th Infantry Base Depot and then back to the battalion.

In the Durham County Archives there is the Adjutants War Diaries for 13/DLI. These are the note books used to compile the main War Diary and are very useful as they contain the daily casualty lists up until about Feb 1917.

regards

John

[Guest]

Hello I have just joined this forum .I wondered if anyone could help me . My grandfathers uncle was killed on wednesday 9 October 1918 . he is buried in Beaurevoir commonwealth cemetery. 

Iwas wondering which battle it would have been .he was in the 13 battalion D.L.I . I have a photo of him and his mates it says they were with the RFA.

 

[EDWARD1]

13th DLI 74th Bgde 25th Divn War Diary

9/19/1918 " 2am the Battalion march to Serrain Farm , orders to attack were received on the march. Objective V5 Central station.  P&Qd (?) about 9.30. Held up at railway embankment.

At 2pm cavalry came up and the Battalion advanced to final objective which was captured without much opposition. Capt I Bewley MC Killed.

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much , for your help. 

[Guest]

Isaac Bewley was my great-uncle as well. I believe this is a photo of him

[Guest]

And here is his “Dead man’s penny”

[Toontraveller]

Whilst visiting family in Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne saw this gravestone ( photograph attached) for Captain Isaac Bewley, DLI. in St Mary The Virgin ( Parish Church) , Front Street, Whickham , Newcastle upon Tyne . NE16 4SJ 

The Cemetery is at the rear of the Church. The Bewley family grave is in a slightly overgrown area of the Cemetery.

According to the North East War Memorial Project( NEWMP) his name is also included on the Roll of Honour of the Whickham War Memorial Cottage Hospital -( Dunston.) The roll of honour is now located in the Whickham Community Centre in the Front Street at Whickham, Newcastle upon Tyne . NE16 4JL. 

His name is also recorded on the Whickham War Memorial located at the front of the St Mary the Virgin ( Parish Church) as well as the Dunston Hill War Memorial located in front of St, Nicholas Church in Dunston , Newcastle upon Tyne.
 

Whickham and Dunston are next door to each other. Lots of additional information about the Roll of Honour  and the War Memorials on the NEWMP website.

Submitted just in case any forum members are researching Captain Isaac Bewley or may do in the future and may not know of the gravestone or other records.